Edward Jerningham
Edward Jerningham (1727 - 17 November 1812) was an English poet and playwright. Life Jerningham was the third son of Sir George Jerningham of Costessey, Norfolk (died 21 January 1774), by his wife Mary, eldest daughter and heiress of Francis Plowden of Plowden, Shropshire. He was educated first at the English College at Douay in France, and afterwards in Paris, where he remained for some years under the care of Dr. Howard. In September 1761 he came to England to be present at the coronation of George III, and brought with him a fair knowledge of Greek and Latin, and a thorough mastery of French and Italian. His family were Roman Catholics, but after he had examined the points of difference between the rival creeds he adopted Protestantism.Courtney, 346. Throughout his long life Jerningham dabbled in poetry. His first production was the "Nunnery," a close imitation of Gray's elegy, but he did not hit the taste of the public until he wrote a poem in recommendation of the Foundling Hospital, which Jonas Hanway declared to have greatly promoted its establishment. His poems were severely satirised. Gifford, in the Baviad, lines 21 and 22, depicted him as "snivelling Jerningham," and weeping at the age of fifty "o'er love-lorn oxen and deserted sheep." Mathias sneered at him in the Pursuits of Literature, Byron, in English Bards and Scotch Reviewers, ostentatiously spared him on account of kindness which he had received as a boy, and Macaulay said that his verses "were fit to be put into the vase of Lady Miller." Fanny Burney met him in 1780, and pronounced him "a mighty delicate gentleman: looks to be painted, and is all daintification in manner, speech, and dress;" and Horace Walpole more than once speaks of him as "the charming man." Jerningham contributed to the British Album, 1790, ii. 103–6; and an ode by him is Beloe's Sexagenarian, ii. 357–9. Some lines by him on a fall of Mrs. Montagu at a drawing-room are in Mrs. Delany's Correspondence, vi. 251, and in the ‘Gentleman's Magazine,’ 1785, p. 151. Two letters from him are in Parr's Works, viii. 41; and some verses which he addressed to Lord Chesterfield are acknowledged in a letter from that peer (Letters, ed. 1845, iv. 366–8).Courtney, 347. He lived with his mother until her death in extreme old age. His chief friends were Lords Chesterfield, Harcourt, Carlisle, Horace Walpole; he was also friends with Anna Seward.Edward Jerningham (1727 ca. - 1812), English Poetry, 1579-1830, Center for Applied Technologies in the Humanities, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. Web, July 24, 2016. At the request of the Prince Regent the library then kept at the Brighton Pavilion was arranged by him. He died at Green Street, Grosvenor Square, London. He bequeathed all his manuscripts to Clarke, the publisher, of New Bond Street, who did not print them. Writing Jerningham's voluminous works comprised: 1. ‘The Nunnery,’ 1762? 2. ‘The Magdalens,’ an elegy anon., 1763. 3. ‘The Nun,’ an elegy anon., 1764. 4. ‘Elegy, written among the Ruins of an Abbey’ anon., 1765. It was reprinted in the ‘Collection’ of Pearch, ii. 117, &c. 5. ‘Yarico to Inkle,’ an epistle anon., 1766. 6. ‘Il latte,’ an elegy anon., 1767. 7. ‘Poems on Various Subjects,’ 1767, containing the whole of Jerningham's then-published poetry. The collection gradually expanded by the addition of new pieces, and passed through many editions, the last being the ninth, in four volumes, dated 1806. 8. ‘Amabella’ anon., 1768. 9. ‘The Deserter, a Poem,’ 1770. 10. ‘Funeral of Arabert, Monk of La Trappe,’ 1771; 3rd ed. 1772. 11. ‘The Swedish Curate, a Poem,’ 1773. The curate concealed Gustavus Vasa in the parish church at the risk of his own life. 12. ‘Faldoni and Teresa,’ 1773. 13. ‘The Fall of Mexico, a Poem,’ 1775. 14. ‘Margaret of Anjou, an Historical Interlude,’ 1777. It was acted at Drury Lane on 11 March 1777, but with no great success. 15. ‘Fugitive Poetical Pieces,’ 1778. 16. ‘The Ancient English Wake, a Poem,’ 1779. 17. ‘Honoria, or the Day of All Souls’ anon., 1782. 18. ‘Rise and Progress of Scandinavian Poetry, a Poem in two parts,’ 1784; based on ‘The Scandinavian Poetics, the Edda,’ and pronounced by Horace Walpole ‘far superior to Jerningham's other works.’ 19. ‘Enthusiasm, a Poem,’ 1789. 20. ‘Lines on a Late Resignation Sir Joshua Reynolds at the Royal Academy,’ 1790. 21. ‘The Shakspeare Gallery, a Poem,’ 1791. In praise of Boydell's collection of pictures. 22. ‘Abelard to Eloisa, a Poem,’ 1792. 23. ‘The Siege of Berwick, a Tragedy,’ 1794. Produced at Covent Garden on 13 Dec. 1793, and on four other nights. On the first night the heroine died, but on the succeeding representations her life was spared. In 1882 it was re-edited by H.E.H. Jerningham, and to it was prefixed a print of the author from an original picture. 24. ‘The Welch Heiress,’ 1795. Acted at Drury Lane for one night only, with Mrs. Jordan as the heiress; 2nd ed. 1795; 3rd ed. 1796. 25. ‘Peace, Ignominy, and Destruction’ anon., 1796. Ironically inscribed to C.J. Fox. 26. The Peckham Frolic; or, Nell Gwyn: A comedy, 1799 and never acted. 27. ‘Biographical Sketches of Henrietta, Duchess of Orleans, and Louis of Bourbon, Prince of Condé; with Bossuet's Funeral Orations on them’ anon., 1799. 28. ‘Select Sermons translated from Bossuet’ anon., 1800, and again in 1801. Some letters from Miss Seward to him on this volume are in the ‘Gentleman's Magazine,’ 1801, pt. i. pp. 113–17, 195–7. 29. ‘Mild Tenour of Christianity’ anon., 1803 and 1807. 30. ‘Dignity of Human Nature, an Essay’ anon., 1805. 31. ‘The Alexandrian School, a Narrative of its first Christian Professors’ anon., 1809; 3rd ed. 1810. 32. ‘The Old Bard's Farewell,’ 1811, and again in 1812. Publications Poetry *''The Nunnery: An elegy. London: R. & J. Dodsley, 1762. *The Magdalens: An elegy. London: R. & J. Dodsley, 1763. *The Nun: An elegy. London: R. & J. Dodsley, 1764. *An Elegy Written among the Ruins of an Abbey. London: J. Dodsley, 1765. *''Yariko to Inkle: An epistle. London: J. Dodsley, 1766. *''Il Latte: An elegy. London: J. Dodsley, 1767. *''Poems on Various Subjects. London: J. Robson, 1767. *''Amabella: A poem''. London: J. Robson, 1768. *''The Deserter: A poem. London: J. Robson, 1770. *''The Funeral of Arabert, Monk of La Trappe: A poem. London: J. Robson, 1771. *''Faldoni and Teresa. London: J. Robson, 1773. *The Swedish Curate: A poem. London: J. Robson, 1773. *Poems. London: Scott, for J. Robson, 1774; Philadelphia: Enoch Story, 1789. *The Fall of Mexico: A poem. London: Scott, for J. Robson, 1775. *''Fugitive Poetical Pieces. London: Scott, for J. Robson, 1778. *''The Ancient English Wake: A poem. London: William Richardson, for J. Robson, 1779. *''Honoria; or, The day of All Souls: A poem. London: J. Robson, 1782. *''The Rise and Progress of the Scandinavian Poetry: A poem''. London: J. Robson, 1784. *''Lines Written in the Album, at Cossey-Hall, Norfolk''. London: J. Robson, 1786. *''Enthusiasm: A poem, in two parts''. London: J. Robson / W. Clarke, 1789. *''Lines on a Late Resignation at the Royal Academy''. London: J. Robson, 1790. *''The Shakespeare Gallery: A poem. London: J. Robson, 1791. *''Abelard to Eloisa: A poem. London: J. Robson, 1792. *''Peace, Ignominy, and Destruction: A poem''. London: F. & C. Rivington / R. White, 1796. *''The Old Bard's Farewell: A poem''. London: W. Clarke, 1811. Plays *''The Siege of Berwick: A tragedy. London: J. Robson, 1794. *The Welch Heiress: A comedy. London: Richard White, 1795. *''The Peckham Frolic; or, Nell Gwyn: A comedy. London: J. Hatchard, 1799. Non-fiction *''The Mild Tenour of Christianity''. 1803. *''The Dignity of Human Nature: An essay''. London: W. Clarke, 1805. *''The Alexandrian School; or, A narrative of the first Christian professors in Alexandria''. London: W. Clarke, 1809. Collected editions *''Poems and Plays]'' London: Luke Hansard, for Nornaville & Fell, 1806. Volume I, Volume II, Volume IV Translated * Jacques Bénigne Bossuet, Select Sermons and Funeral Orations.London: W. Clarke, 1800. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Edward Jerningham 1812, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, July 24, 2016. See also *List of British poets *List of English-language playwrights References * Notes External links ;Poems *"The Nun: An elegy" *"An Elegy Written among the Ruins of an Abbey" ;About *Edward Jerningham (1727 ca. - 1812) at English Poetry, 1579-1830 * Jerningham, Edward Category:1727 births Category:1812 deaths Category:18th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:English dramatists and playwrights Category:English poets Category:Poets Category:People from Norfolk